The 50 greatest college football teams throughout history

23. Best college football teams of all-time: 2012 Alabama

Playing six ranked teams on the season, all of which were ranked in the top 15 in the country and three of which were ranked at No. 5 or better, this Alabama team routinely destroyed teams both at home and on the road.

Their only slip-up, presenting them from rising even further on this list, came in the form of a five-point loss against No. 15 Texas A&M at home, before snapping back like a rubber band and destroying Western Carolina by 49 points. They would go on to win a nail-biter over Georgia, before dismantling Notre Dame 42-14 in the National Championship game.

At the end of this tough schedule, Alabama finished as SEC and National Champions, leading the nation (by a large margin) in total defense. This defense was nasty, spearheaded by C. J. Mosley at linebacker and Dee Milliner manning the secondary with several other memorable names.

Quarterback AJ McCarron also led the country in passing efficiency and propelled a dynamic offense that averaged nearly 40 points a game and perhaps, statistically, was underrated as a whole.

Saban’s sixth Alabama team navigated the dangerous waters of the 2012 SEC, which included seven ranked teams and four other top 10 teams. Five players were named to various All-America teams, with Milliner and Chance Warmack earning unanimous selections.

Playing six ranked teams on the season, all of which were ranked in the best 15 in the country and three of which were ranked at No. 5 or better, this Alabama team routinely destroyed teams both at home and on the road. This team flat-out balled for most of the year and many players have already gone on to stellar NFL careers and their talent and performance combine to earn a solid spot on our list.